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almost read to wean but dd hates milk

hi there. my dd is 16 months and nurses 2-3 times a day. she eats wholesome foods but like a typical toddler, not everyday. some days she doesn't eat almost anything. i am worried about weaning because she does not like any milk, cheese or yogurt. she hardly eats any veggies either so i don't know how she'll get her calcium. her doctor says she MUST drink some sort of milk if i am to wean, is this true? thanks for any insights. sonia

Re: almost read to wean but dd hates milk

Your Doc probably is concerned that if you wean and your Little one isn't drinking any milk that she won't get enough calcium and vitamin D.

Do you really need to wean right now? or can you wait until your daughter learns to appreciate a wider variety of dairy foods and veggies with lots of calcium and vitamin D?

If you really feel you must wean now, talk to your doc about which other dairy foods have the same amount of calcium and Vitamin D and what quantities your daughter would need to eat each day to match the content of whole milk. You could start your daughter on those foods, and when she got to the point that she was consuming enough of them each day, you could work on weaning after that.

There is no reason you can't just continue to nurse though, unless you don't want to, or can't anymore.

"Many societies throughout the world remain very healthy without ever drinking milk once weaned from the breast. Remember that milk is species specific. Cow's milk is intended for baby cows, who grow much faster than human babies and have very different nutritional needs."

Hope this helps!

Mama to Adeline Brett, breastfed for 4.5 years (12/14/05) and little Eliza June, new tiny sprite in my arms and still learning the ropes (7/18/10)

Family Blog • If I'm here I'm nursing and typing one handed ... forgive the typos!
And I'm not a newbie at all ... I'm trying to get my old user ID working from back in the day ... paint-the-moon

Re: almost read to wean but dd hates milk

Thanks for the link paint-the-moon! I had always wondered about that because I never drank cows milk as a child...I hated it!!! My parents tried so hard, but I just wouldn't from the time I was weaned. I'm pretty healthy, so I figured it was ok

Re: almost read to wean but dd hates milk

I agree with PP. I don't think cow's milk is necessary but you will need to find some source for calcium when you choose to wean. Green leafy veggies (spinach, kale, broccolli) are a good source but you mentioned that they are not a fave. There is a possibility that these tastes will develop over time, especially for things like cheese, yogurt, or other dairy. Maybe you can try soy or rice milk (which does contain calcium) or calcium fortified juices such as OJ. Just some ideas.